FORMALLY/FORMERLY
Explain the difference between the terms "formally" and "formerly".
Use each word in a sentence that expresses its respective meaning.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "enigmatic".
Define "enigmatic" and use it in a sentence.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
DEAR NEWS READERS, REPORTERS, ETC.
YES/YEAH
What is the difference between "yes" and "yeah"?
When should "yes" be used?
When should "yeah" NEVER be used?
(Answer Hint: Think professionally!)
ONCE AGAIN
Identify and correct the error in the following sentence.
"Under terms of the tunnel proposal, Infrastructure Ontario would loan $75 million to the recently formed Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation."
Dave Battagello & Doug Schmidt, "Let's make a deal", The Windsor Star, Thursday, July 24, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "anserine".
Define "anserine" and use it in a sentence.
What is the difference between "yes" and "yeah"?
When should "yes" be used?
When should "yeah" NEVER be used?
(Answer Hint: Think professionally!)
ONCE AGAIN
Identify and correct the error in the following sentence.
"Under terms of the tunnel proposal, Infrastructure Ontario would loan $75 million to the recently formed Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation."
Dave Battagello & Doug Schmidt, "Let's make a deal", The Windsor Star, Thursday, July 24, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "anserine".
Define "anserine" and use it in a sentence.
SOME THINKING REQUIRED
TRY AND/TRY TO
Which is correct: "try and" or "try to"?
Explain your choice.
A NOBLE PHILOSOPHY
Who created the following aphorism?
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "revulsion".
Define "revulsion" and use it in a sentence.
Which is correct: "try and" or "try to"?
Explain your choice.
A NOBLE PHILOSOPHY
Who created the following aphorism?
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "revulsion".
Define "revulsion" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
CHALLENGES
INANE CLICHE
Read the following highly overused and trite cliche.
Think about what is written.
Does it make any real sense?
What is implied in "immediately"?
What statement should be used?
"A representative for Chery was not immediately available for comment."
Reuters, Detroit, "Bricklin sues Chery over sour deal", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, July 22, 2008.
INTENSE/INTENSIVE
This is a tough one.
Explain the difference between "intense" and "intensive".
Use the words in sentences that demonstrate the meanings.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "enigmatic".
Define "enigmatic" and use it in a sentence.
Read the following highly overused and trite cliche.
Think about what is written.
Does it make any real sense?
What is implied in "immediately"?
What statement should be used?
"A representative for Chery was not immediately available for comment."
Reuters, Detroit, "Bricklin sues Chery over sour deal", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, July 22, 2008.
INTENSE/INTENSIVE
This is a tough one.
Explain the difference between "intense" and "intensive".
Use the words in sentences that demonstrate the meanings.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "enigmatic".
Define "enigmatic" and use it in a sentence.
Monday, July 21, 2008
SOME NEGATIVES
DEGRADE/DENIGRATE/DOWNGRADE
Define "degrade", "denigrate" and "downgrade".
Create sentences for each word that clearly exhibit the words' meanings.
How are the words misused?
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "rancorous".
Define "rancorous" and use it in a sentence.
Define "degrade", "denigrate" and "downgrade".
Create sentences for each word that clearly exhibit the words' meanings.
How are the words misused?
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "rancorous".
Define "rancorous" and use it in a sentence.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - July 20, 2008
Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's entries.
Monday
DOLLARAMA
When DOLLARAMA creates a sign thanking us for our collaboration when we prepay, I think someone needs to do some word checking. See below.
Incidentally, the word “consumption” is also, probably, a misuse.
COLLABORATION/CORROBORATION/COOPERATION
“Collaboration” is working together by people or groups.
“Corroboration” means confirmation, verification or proof of a point or position.
“The corroboration between the two witnesses resulted in her conviction for perjury.”
“Cooperation” means assistance, help or teamwork.
The cooperation between the union and management resulted in the signing of an equitable contract.
Tuesday
BREACH/BREECH
“Breech” refers to rear ends, as in “breeches”.
A “breach” is something broken off or open, as in a breach in a military line or a breach in a dam.
Wednesday
BROKE/BROKEN
“Broke” is the simple past tense of “break.”
The bottle broke when I threw it against the wall.
“Broken” is a participial form of the word “broke” as in, “The window was broken when the bottle hit it”.
The two should not be interchanged.
Thursday
CONTINUAL/CONTINUOUS
“Continuous” refers to actions which are uninterrupted.
“His continuous music playing was very aggravating.”
“Continual” refers to actions which need not be uninterrupted, only repeated.
“Continual changes of light can interrupt sleep.
JUST FOR PRACTICE
Are there any errors in the following?
“U.S. church hosts camp”
"Two beat-up church vans carried 36 youth and eight adult supervisors from Hope, Ark., to Windsor in a bid to reach out to children in Olde Sandwich Towne."
The headline says a Hope, Arkansas church hosted a youth camp in Windsor. Weren’t those Hope children guests? If they were, the headline is incorrect.
Be consistent: numbers between zero and one hundred should be written; any number higher can be numerical. At least, be consistent.
Shouldn’t “youth” be plural? There were thirty six of them.
“U.S. church camp guests” (Is this less misleading?)
"Two beat-up church vans carried thirty six youths and eight adult supervisors from Hope, Ark., to Windsor in a bid to reach out to children in Olde Sandwich Towne."
Friday
Correct the errors in the following:
"The kitchen of the Columbia Court residence was clearly used to make crack cocaine, Cusinato found. Scales and a pot with cocaine residue in it was found there, and the 86.8 grams of crack cocaine was in plain view, he said."
There are two nouns that are the subject of the verb in the second clause, so a plural verb is required.
There is no comma required after the word “there”.
“Grams”, the subject of the second clause, is plural so the verb must also be plural.
Technically, the quotations marks are incorrect.
“ ‘The kitchen of the Columbia Court residence was clearly used to make crack cocaine, Cusinato found. Scales and a pot with cocaine residue in it were found there and the 86.8 grams of crack cocaine were in plain view‘, he said.”
A GOOD LIFE PHILOSOPHY
“Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.”
Albert Einstein
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Obsequious” (adj.) means flattering, toadying, fawning or submissive.
“Sanctimonious” (adj.) means smug, pious, holier-than-thou or self-righteous.
“Incorrigible” (adj.)means habitual, incurable, persistent or hopeless.
“Anachronistic” (adj.) means out-dated, old-fashioned, obsolete or out-of-time.
“Rancorous” (adj.) means spiteful, malicious, hurtful, bitter or cruel.
Monday
DOLLARAMA
When DOLLARAMA creates a sign thanking us for our collaboration when we prepay, I think someone needs to do some word checking. See below.
Incidentally, the word “consumption” is also, probably, a misuse.
COLLABORATION/CORROBORATION/COOPERATION
“Collaboration” is working together by people or groups.
“Corroboration” means confirmation, verification or proof of a point or position.
“The corroboration between the two witnesses resulted in her conviction for perjury.”
“Cooperation” means assistance, help or teamwork.
The cooperation between the union and management resulted in the signing of an equitable contract.
Tuesday
BREACH/BREECH
“Breech” refers to rear ends, as in “breeches”.
A “breach” is something broken off or open, as in a breach in a military line or a breach in a dam.
Wednesday
BROKE/BROKEN
“Broke” is the simple past tense of “break.”
The bottle broke when I threw it against the wall.
“Broken” is a participial form of the word “broke” as in, “The window was broken when the bottle hit it”.
The two should not be interchanged.
Thursday
CONTINUAL/CONTINUOUS
“Continuous” refers to actions which are uninterrupted.
“His continuous music playing was very aggravating.”
“Continual” refers to actions which need not be uninterrupted, only repeated.
“Continual changes of light can interrupt sleep.
JUST FOR PRACTICE
Are there any errors in the following?
“U.S. church hosts camp”
"Two beat-up church vans carried 36 youth and eight adult supervisors from Hope, Ark., to Windsor in a bid to reach out to children in Olde Sandwich Towne."
The headline says a Hope, Arkansas church hosted a youth camp in Windsor. Weren’t those Hope children guests? If they were, the headline is incorrect.
Be consistent: numbers between zero and one hundred should be written; any number higher can be numerical. At least, be consistent.
Shouldn’t “youth” be plural? There were thirty six of them.
“U.S. church camp guests” (Is this less misleading?)
"Two beat-up church vans carried thirty six youths and eight adult supervisors from Hope, Ark., to Windsor in a bid to reach out to children in Olde Sandwich Towne."
Friday
Correct the errors in the following:
"The kitchen of the Columbia Court residence was clearly used to make crack cocaine, Cusinato found. Scales and a pot with cocaine residue in it was found there, and the 86.8 grams of crack cocaine was in plain view, he said."
There are two nouns that are the subject of the verb in the second clause, so a plural verb is required.
There is no comma required after the word “there”.
“Grams”, the subject of the second clause, is plural so the verb must also be plural.
Technically, the quotations marks are incorrect.
“ ‘The kitchen of the Columbia Court residence was clearly used to make crack cocaine, Cusinato found. Scales and a pot with cocaine residue in it were found there and the 86.8 grams of crack cocaine were in plain view‘, he said.”
A GOOD LIFE PHILOSOPHY
“Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.”
Albert Einstein
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Obsequious” (adj.) means flattering, toadying, fawning or submissive.
“Sanctimonious” (adj.) means smug, pious, holier-than-thou or self-righteous.
“Incorrigible” (adj.)means habitual, incurable, persistent or hopeless.
“Anachronistic” (adj.) means out-dated, old-fashioned, obsolete or out-of-time.
“Rancorous” (adj.) means spiteful, malicious, hurtful, bitter or cruel.
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